Inspired

We keep working through the 2021 Panini Prizm Draft Picks blaster and I can say - the base cards may not be overly inspired, but at least one insert set seems to be.

Three base cards and the results of their stars?

Nick Bush - No MLB experience yet, and made it to double-A ball.

Eric Silva - No MLB experience yet, hasn't quite made it to double-A yet.

Russell Smith - No MLB experience yet, just made to double-A ball

Three strikes and I guess we are out on the base cards....

AC/DC inspired if you are going to call the insert set Thunderstruck. Will isn't in the majors (yet) either. Liam not making it to the majors yet either means five for five on drafts that have, as of yet, which is more what I expect from these products.

At least the cards look nice!

Another Unexpected Card

 Another pack of 2021 Panini prizm Draft Picks baseball cards, and four more base cards up for trade, though one I wouldn't have expected.

Didn't think I would see a Sandy Koufax card in a product like this, let alone as a base card.

The card highlights his single season with the Bearcats, and is a nice enough card, but yeah, not expected.

Last up, a first power surge insert. C.J. is still toiling in the minors and has not yet made it to the MLB. Par for the course for a Panini Draft Pick card.

Unexpected Success

 Today, the second pack of cards from the 2021 Panini Prizm Draft Picks blaster, and we actually get an insert which I'm counting as a Toronto card - sweet and unexpected, but first - let's look at the backs of the base cards...

I get that with prospects, the stats may mean a little less, but I'd still rather have stats on the cards. I mean, we are lazy enough to reuse the photo from the front and use it again on the back, but then also slack on the stats - this is a good reason why Panini cards are not my jam.

Now, some of the 1,000 different parallels do look kinda cool like this green pulsar Pena. Still not collectible for me, but really does look nice.

We end with the surprise as I wasn't expecting anything in the box to be in my collecting wheelhouse, but the prospect is noted as a Toronto prospect and not associated with the minor league team itself, so let's count it! Simeon didn't last long enough in the Toronto organization to make it to the bigs with the Jays, but has play on and off for the Twins in Minnesota from 2022 to the current season.

A better pack than I was expecting to come out of this blaster - let's hope the good times keep coming!

Happy Fourth of July!

Have a great and celebratory long weekend all those neighbours to the south celebrating. A perfect day to (finally) open a new blaster of cards and why not be something that would be more for you than me. No interest in the product, but the box was less than $10 when I picked it up so I figure, why not?

As Panini is apt to do, they make scoring these a bit harder as I have to figure out odds or a best guess for inserts. At least I am not expecting anything to be kept since it's all minor leaguer related, and that's not my jam.

So, I have no need to keep any of the packs for my unopened pack collection, but this is what the ylook like if you haven't seen them...

 Let's take a first pack today and go from there.

Maddux Bruns - floating around the minors, not made it to the bigs yet.

Mason Black - In 2024, made it to the MLB with 9 games and a record of 1-5 for the Giants.

Micah Ottenbreit - still floating around the majors, not yet making it to the majors.

Andy Thomas - Made it to Double-A so far, and that's it.

John's in double-A ball with Texas this year and doing well so will see if he stands out enough to keep moving along.

Well, five cards, and one that has made it to the majors. I have a feeling that's likely going to be at or above the odds for the product. I'm guessing the Draft Standout isn't that unusual of an insert as far as rates go, but will wait and judge such things maybe once the packs are all opened.

One More Jays Trade

Well, sad to see Mitch Marner leave the Leafs, but not a big surprise unfortunately. Hopefully the change helps Toronto but a shame he had to go - would have liked to see him succeed in Toronto, but only time will tell how Vegas works out for him instead.

As for cards...on to something non-trade tomorrow, I promise! TCDB member myrke who I have traded with before, set up another nice trade bringing more Jays my ways...

Lots of shine to the cards as we have a bunch of Chrome, and even the non-Chrome like Platinum, still shine too. The Bowman Platinum cards do scan nicely, Stroman was a solid pitcher....until he wasn't.

As much as I like to see the Canada Day jerseys, they do stick out in the team binders when every here and there, there is a Jay in that instead of a blue uniform. Although none of the parallels here have serial numbers, have to like the snazzy looks between the X-Fractor and Mojo designs.

We end the trade with a few 2021 Topps set additions (all rookie cards given it was rookie cards that were missing in spades), and a nice Pearson Artist Proof Blue Diamond King card.

As usual, a great trade and lots to love, and tomorrow - something new that I probably will be keeping none of.

DJ Gives A Spin

 What may be the last trade share for a few days at least, TCDB member DJ-TR was able to send a bunch of Leafs my was including what seem to be coming across in decent numbers of late - stickers!

The stickers scan most of the 80s, though I don't have any completed sets yet, it's a bunch of help to a bunch of years. Honestly, I don't remember the sticker books at all, and couldn't recall what any of the covers looked like (versus baseball where some are clear as day like 1988 Don Mattingly).

Believe it or not, the team Topps 1990-91 card was the last variation need I had for the master base set (if that is such a thing( bue to variations on the copyright line. Very cool.

The 1992-93 Panini foil Potvin was the last Leaf I needed for that team set, and the Gilmour is a one of one Leaf insert so that's a quick done, but not the only one in this trade.

The Ultra checklist, another Leaf team set finisher, while the Bowman's Best is a single Leaf insert. Early to mid-90s Leafs still my favourite times as a Leaf fan, but current team is right there as number two now.

The Retro Berard and Championship Fever are another couple one and done Leaf team sets for me - more in this trade than I had thought there would be for "completing" things, but that's all good!

We even get to end with a Heads Up Cujo being the fourth of the four Leaf cards to finishing off another team set. An amazing 10 team sets finished off in the single trade, and all the extra sticker help too - fantastic. Trades like this are why, even with the cost of shipping to do trades, there is enough benefit for the cost not to deter - helping others complete sets and grow collections, while doing the same, and all for the cost of a pack of cards (if you are lucky).

Mostly Baseball on Canada Day

 The trades keep coming and Canada Day is no exception. Rayeveryplayerand76e and I sent a couple PWEs each way in the mail, and most of what came my way was baseball related, but hitting a few different parts of my collection.

We start with the fact I still need error cards for the error collection from "unk wax" sets like 1990 Upper Deck, and I still need variations of my Jays from 1991 since there are almost 100 cards of Jays if you consider the different holograms.

When I started back into collecting a decade ago now, I never thought I'd be collecting bookmarks, but here we are with another different set and different handful of them. I don't remember these being such a common item in the 90s, but here we are, and they look pretty good too.

Also from 1993, a few more Topps Gold cards on my slow build for the parallel set. Still a good way to go, but they do look great. As does the design on these Jays...

A solid bunch of 2006 Topps Heritage Jays...2006 being on the front end of a decade of okay but not playoff bound teams. Not a great time to be a Jays fan in the mid-00s if you were looking for playoffs and success.

We do get a one and done Jays team set with the 2024 Panini Contenders Squires insert set with all of one Jay.

We then get to finish a trade because, if you are sending cards to Canada, you best include at least one hockey card!

Enjoy your Canada Day and may all your trades be as great as ones like this!